Logan turned around and found his gaze met with mismatched eyes and a cold glance. "William 'Cap' Hatfield I am guessing?" Logan spoke evenly. Cap's brows raised, "no, only my friends calls me Cap." Cap replied dryly. "Calvin McCoy says you made a promise not to turn in Johnsey if he told you what was going on. You mean that?" Cap asked.
Logan remained silent and turned his head to nod towards the cave in. "You tell me, could any decent man turn in people while trying to save their family from the jaws of that," Logan answered.
A slight chill trickled down Cap's spine, he had zeroed in on Logan and hadn't bothered to look at his surroundings. Maybe he didn't want to, Logan's eyes could read people well and with a sigh, he gestured for Cap to turn around. "Just over there it's hard to miss. I just dropped Johnsey and China some water." Logan explained.
"Dropped them water? so it's not far?" Cap asked hopefully, his feet rushed towards the mouth of the cavern and as his question answered itself he struggled to keep himself from falling over into it.
"Whoa!" Logan gasped, reaching he took Cap by the arm and held him steady. "be careful the edge of the drop isn't stable everywhere." he said. Cap, however, was hardly listening as he looked down into the dark, "an' she's ok?" Cap asked quickly. Logan watched Cap carefully trying to stay composed as he turned to face him.
With steady words Logan sighed, "No probably not. But she's alive down there, Johnsey has said as much. That's more than good enough for now." he said.
"Was it just her?" Clint asked approaching. Logan shook his head, "I do not know. Johnsey only reported Chyna." Logan said. Clint's chest clenched, he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign for Iris. Did the fire claim her, was she here for the fall, or did she somehow escape? was she somewhere with the children?
"It's ok Cap, Chyna is used to not being ok. we can take care of her, I bet." Cotton reasoned too afraid to get any closer to the cavern himself. "Y-yeah thats the spirit Cotton Top" Calvin stammered. Cap short a glare in Calvin's direction, "You still here?" he asked.
"Well, I.....I can't just leave can I?" Calvin said, he held out his arms to the giant hole in the earth, "Look at this! I know I ain't been a good friend, but I'm still her friend." Calvin reasoned. Cap gave him a flat gaze and raised a brow "Friends don't do what you did all them years, what you let your brothers do. Friends don't help poison other friends. Calvin, you're a spineless litt-"
"We ain't no time for this, Cap." Clint cut in. "If the boy wants to help let him, we need all we can get," he added.
Cap spat at the ground and turned his back to Calvin, peering into the dark once more. "jesus that's a ways...." Cap whispered. Cupping his hands around his mouth he drew in a deep breath "JOHNSEY! CHYNA!" he called as loud as he could.
Johnsey stirred as he heard a voice echoing through the tunnel. "sh-it!" he slurred half-awake as he scrambled to get to his feet. "sounds like Cap." He thought, moving his coat over Chyna a little higher he made his way to the mouth of the cave in. "idiot McCoy actually came through." Johnsey muttered to himself.
He stopped in the open air and called up, "We're here!" loudly.
Above him Johnsey could see Cap, Clint, Logan, and Calvin peering over the side. "and Chyna?" Cap called down. Johsney paused, his eyes glancing towards the tunnel where she rested, "yeah, just figure out how to get her out of here." called Johnsey. "she's not - she's not in a good way." He added.
Cap ruffled his hair and gave a bitter hiss, "so what else is new... goddamnit." he whispered to himself. Cap's eyes wandered over to the rope hanging from the dangling tree. "I wouldn't, that thing barely got Johnsey down there," Calvin warned.
"I wasn't gonna climb it, we need that rope." Cap said. "we can tie it to Logan's rope, an' I gotta bit of rope on my horse. that might be long enough to get down to them." Cap said.
Clint shook his head, "No it'd snape between the friction of hitting the cave wall and the weight, you gots to pull 'em both up and Johnsey's not but muscle." said Clint. "well shit." Cap sighed. For a while, he lingered in silence, "I can't believe I'm gon' ask this of you." Cap said turning his gaze to Calvin.
Calvin's ears perked "me? what do you want me to do?" he asked. "Take Cotton, and go find my Pa. He was in the army, he's bound to have some kinda know how 'bout this." said Cap, looking at the cavern Cap frowned, "I can't leave." He said. Calvin gave a firm nod and a weak smile, "I can do that, Come on Cotton Top." he said heading for the horses. Cotton beamed, "We'll be back quicker than an angry jack hare Cap!" Cotton called as the two boys wen on thier way.
"You sure that was wise? you don't think all this is a trap?" Clint asked in a hushed voice. Cap's gaze lingered on Calvin as he and Cotton rode further away. "Oh, it certainly was a trap, a trap gone wrong - it had t' be. How else would she have ended up alls the way out here?" Cap said. He exhaled slowly and tried to calm his screaming nerves.
"jus' I don't think we have to worry 'bout Calvin. He's yella. Scared for his soul an' all that, if he was par tof all this, he won't risk no more part in it now." Cap reasoned. Clint gave a silent nod, glancing down into the cavern he pointed. "look, he's got her." said Clint. Cap's eyes quickly looked down.
"Chyna!" he called down, his heart started to beat hard within his chest, "easy calm down." Clint lulled. "she-" Cap shuddered, "she aint movin'"
"Now you can't tell that from all the way up here, now can you. Easy. If somethin' was wrong JOhnsey woulda said so." Clint reasoned, resting a hand on Cap's shoulder. Cap nodded, "y-yeah, of course." he muttered.
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Below them Johnsey glanced timidly at a rock pile, "We uh...." He called up, clearing his throat, "we got a body, It...I don't know how we're gonna get her up!" he shouted. Cap looked to Clint with wide horrified eyes. "Jesus...Clint, I-" Cap's words stumbled over each other. Clint's jaw was clenched tight and Cap could see tears burning in his eyes. "Clint...." Cap spoke carefully. CLint didn't answer.
"She's family Johnse! we'll find a way to get her up here!" Cap called down.
"Right, alright." Johnsey replied with a nod. He set Chyna on the ground as gently as he could and gave her a light shake. "hey, hey! wake up now Cap's here for ya." he said. Chyna's eyes fluttered open, relief on her face but a hint of fear in the back of her eyes. "You won't tell him." her voice quiet but words quick.
Johnsey looked at her baffled, "No, Your gonna tell 'im you have to." Johnsey said. Chyna's voice cracked "I can't..." she whimpered. "You don't have no choice but to - He's gotta right to know, if you don't tell him then its gotta be me that does it. an' that's gonna end up much worse." said Johnsey.
Chyna began to weep quietly, "I can't take somebody else from him, Skunky was my fault. now the child? bad 'nough I don't do much but cause him trouble alla time." Chyna said softly, she made feeble swipes at her tears. "I'm tired of messin up all the time."
Johnsey scoffed, "yeah well, join the party i s'pose..." he muttered. "trust me, not sayin' nothin' will cause more damage than face'n the facts." He said, Johnsey gave a shake of his head, "I don't know nothin if I don't know what much by now." he added. Chyna sniffled and wiped away the rest of her tears and nodded.
"Good, now muster up any strength you got and hollar up to him before he dives right now into this godforsaken hole." Johnsey said. Chyna tried to sit herself up a bit, her body still hurt turning her head up to the opening of the cavern she called out. "I'm here Cap!"
Cap smiled, that was the prettiest echoe he'd ever expect to hear. "Hold on, Calvin and Cotton is getting Pa and the others, we're gon' get you outta there real soon!" Cap called down. "others?" Chyna thought looking to Johnsey. Johnsey shrugged, "maybe he actually did get Pa to join him." he said. Chyna groaned inwardly, this wasn't what she needed, Anse was already on the fence about her and Cap. She didn't want to think about how riled all this would get him.
Chyna rested a hand on the bloody bundle on her lap, "looks like miss Levicy got what she wanted." she thought bitterly. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." she whispered. Johnsey glanced off and cleared his throat, "um here...drink some more water." he said.
"where did those boys get to?" Elias asked as he, Anse, and Jim came to a stop. Anse's eyes scanned the area while Jim let out a long sigh and stuffed tobacco in his cheek. "a right mess, I'd say I tol' ya so but no one listens to ol' uncle Jim." he hummed. "You been bellyaching for the last thirty-some odd minutes, give it a rest." said Elias.
"we'aint got no business across the river for the sake of no silly black bit-"
"Oh lord, we found 'em!" Calvin's voice called. "Hello Uncle Anse, Uncle Jim, Uncle Lias!" Cotton cheered with a grin. "We found Chyna," he added.
Anse's eyes zeroed in on Calvin who sank on his horse, "I-I mean no harm. I'm here to help I swear." He said raising his hands in the air. Jim aimed his rifle at Calvin. "I say we blow his pea head off and leave 'im after all his daddy has done," said Jim.
Anse raised his hand to stop Jim and studied Calvin. "You know where my boy is?" Anse asked. Calvin nodded his head. "Yeah, He tracked Chyna to a mining cave-in. left the biggest hole in the ground I've ever seen. Johnsey got there first an' went down but got stuck down there with 'er. Its a long way down. We got rope but it'd take too long to pull them up and -"
"the rope wouldn't stand the weight and friction." Anse sighed glancing about. "um, yeah." Calvin breathed slowly lowering his arms. "You don't trust him?" Jim questioned. Anse looked at his uncle with an irritated glance. "What choice have I got but to trust 'im, he's with Cotton ain't he!" Anse barked.
"Calvin ain't lyin' uncle Anse, honest. we found her, you bet." Cotton said with a grin. "Cap says, you'll know what to do," he added. Anse exhaled a slow breath. "he did, did he." he murmured. "alright, take us there, but any funny business out of you Calvin, and you'll have cost your pa another son." Anse warned.
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Cap nearly jumped out of his skin when Cotton and Calvin returned with his father and uncles. Now he nervously knelt at the age of the cavern praying his father's plan would work.
"Alright, the ropes are tied to the horses." Logan called out tying the last knot. "an' you did it jus' as you were shown?" Anse asked. Logan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, I can understand just fine Mr.Hatfield." He answered as peacefully as he could manage. "A better question would be, how sure are we Jim ain't rigged the knots to fail." Clint muttered as he passed Logan. Logan now had to fight back the urge to laugh.
"Uncle Jim!" Called out Cotton, "You wouldn't mess with the ropes would you?" he called. Clint started to choke and Cap covered his eyes with his hand. "jesus cot...." Cap whispered as he cringed. "Now what - well, hell! now I outta!" Jim barked spitting his tobacco into the dirt. "what a man gets when he tries to be the bigger man." Jim grumbled.
Anse and Elias lead the horses closer to the edge, Calvin and Cotton carefully dropping two pairs of rope over the edge, the ends fashioned into small loops. "Did they reach?" Cap called down to Johnsey.
Johnsey took the rope ends in his hands, "Yeah, yeah with some room to spare! but what the plan?" he called up. " You gotta hol' on to the loops, two for the hands the other two go'round both feet. It won't be nice, but we're gonna pull you up like a basket. the Horses are gonna be doing to pulling to make sure it's an even amount of friction and that no one slips or gets tired." Cap explained in a shout.
"It won't be fast neither but, it's better than waitin' on us to find the mine entrance..." Cap added.
Johnsey glanced back at where Chyna rested, "I think we're both ok with some discomfort." He thought as he went to gather Chyna and get her set up. "Iris," Chyna said quietly looking towards the makeshift grave. Johnsey followed her gaze, he did not relish the idea of pulling her from the rocks but gave a nod. "yeah, we'll send her up after ya. alright just worry about the trip up." he said. Chyna gave a nod, "see you're a better person than you thought." she rasped with a hint of a smile.
Johnsey muttered under his breath, he slung his satchel around Chyna's body, taking from her the bloody bundle and sticking it safely in the bag. "yeah well..." Jonhsey sighed rubbing the back of his neck. "You just tell my Pa that. here, let's get you in these ropes, just like a basket remember..." He said.
The way up was painfully slow, Chyna's already aching body now had to support her own head, and her neck muscles felt strained. "You're almost here, we almost got ya." Cap said, he hadn't been silent since her assent and Chyna was beyond grateful. But looking at his face was a terrible reminder of what she had to do. Closer to safety and closer to new pain, repeated history.
Chyna looked down below her and it caused her to shudder, somehow it didn't look that far down from inside of the mine. She could see Jonhsey uncovering Iris' body from the rock grave, he looked small. The thought of the fall nearly brought tears to her eyes, and as they threatened to break she could hear a great cheer from above her.
"wait until she's further up!" Logan warned, but Cap has already reached down for Chyna's arms, with every muscle he had he pulled her up to him. Falling onto his back his arms and legs wrapped around Chyna. Realizing what was happening Chyna her face in his chest, Cap found all he could do was repeatedly kiss the top of her head.
"I'm here." Cap said quietly untangling himself from her, Calvin and Logan rushed over, taking the ropes from her hands and ankles carefully while Cap checked her over. His hands hovered above her skin, bruises lingered so dark he was afraid to touch her. The sounds of Logan and Calvin sending the ropes back down and the horses getting back into place seemed worlds away.
Chyna's eyes wandered to Clint, "Johnsey, he's...he's ending...." Her hoarse voice couldn't croak the words without the tears returning to her eyes. Clint laid a giant hand on top of Chyna's head, he couldn't speak it but his eyes told her that he knew. "I'm sorry." Chyna said softly. Clint looked to Cap with a serious gaze, "She doesn't look well, get her to a doctor. We will get Johnsey up." said Clint.
Even as dark as she was, Chyna looked frightfully pale, the luster had left her skin and her eyes were covered in a dull glaze. "thank you." Cap said, carefully taking Chyna into his arms he would feel her body wince in pain. Anse watched his son run for the horse, struggling to get Chyna atop of it, "I can help" Cotton said rushing over, "thanks Cot," said Cap.
Anse's gaze lingered on the blood-soaked skirt. "Cap, take Cotton with ya. You get her halfway and then one of you needs to make a run for Doctor Rutherford, He ain't no midwife, the other one of you get her to Rutherford." Anse instructed. Cap's face became pale, "M-mid wife?" He questioned. "jus' get her on then." Anse said, Cap gave a nod and quickly got on the horse behind Chyna, "Its better if Cotton don't see what comes up next anyway." Anse thought as he watched the three of them ride back for West Virginia.